Tagged:
inspirational

If you put collateral in context with marketing, you are offering potentials clients a valuable resource that supports your business. A fitness professional relies on a brand to build a reputation, and marketing collateral is part of that process. Even in this digital age, it is wise to design some physical tools to promote your company. A website is a nice touch, but nothing says professional quite like a visual aide.

By Dan Lionello, an EO Vancouver member president of Padtech Global Sourcing

Have you heard of the Painted Picture concept? It’s a process that helps you explore your truths in order to clearly envision where you want to go in business or life. In business, it’s a vision; a high-level overview of what your company currently is and where it could be. In life, it’s a detailed look at how your life is and how it could be. The physical creation of everything we wish to accomplish begins in the mind; therefore creating a “Painted Picture” is the first important step to achieving the results you desire.

By beginning with the “end in mind,” your Painted Picture becomes a snapshot of the future and allows you to draw a “map” to get there. By focusing on your personal or professional vision and using it as a filter when making decisions, it will guide you to where you want to go. Not only will your Painted Picture allow you to clearly communicate where you want to go to yourself, but it will also communicate to others your intentions so that they can help you get there, too. What’s more, it will allow you to align all of your resources to achieve your vision. (more…)

Deciding when to go global is a tough call for entrepreneurs. They may be tempted by opportunities in hot markets like China, India or Brazil, but could risk venturing abroad before they’re fully prepared. “Many companies expand too quickly,” says Jon Fjeld, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Duke University. While selling overseas extends your company’s reach, he says, you don’t want to move into international markets too soon and use resources you need to continue growing on your home turf.

I first met Adrienne when I was Executive Director of a global non-profit Business for Diplomatic Action. I engaged Adrienne to join our mostly male board for several reasons not least of which included her different way of thinking. Adrienne is at her core an entrepreneur. And entrepreneurs think differently. They problem solve in ways that continue to inspire and perplex those around them. Adrienne also represented an industry, digital marketing, that is rapidly evolving and challenging business models in every industry. In addition to founding and running her own successful digital marketing firm she also serves as a Global Director of the Entrepreneurs Organization, travelling globally to help encourage and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and global citizens. In short, she is a force of nature, wise beyond her years, and I feel so fortunate to have her as a dear friend. I caught up with Adrienne recently and asked her to reflect on her business InSite which is celebrating its 15th anniversary next month, the lessons she’s learned along the way, the takeaways, and insights she’d wish she’d known when she began.

As an entrepreneur, your time is precious. There are only so many hours in the day, and most of them are spent working on or in your business. To be effective in this role, you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay in the best shape possible. How can you do that when you’re busy running a company? Build exercise into your day.